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Monday, May 6, 2013

Multiple award-winning author Jacqueline Seewald has taught
creative, expository and technical writing at the university level as well as
high school English. She also worked as an academic librarian and an
educational media specialist. Twelve of her books of fiction have been
published, including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories,
poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse
publications. She enjoys spending time with family and friends when she isn’t
writing. In addition, she is a playwright, a landscape artist and loves many
types of music most particularly blue grass. Somehow she manages to support so many other authors and their blogs. I'm lucky to have her as a cyber-friend and colleague. Welcome back to the blog, Jacquie. Please tell us more about yourself.Where do you live, and how has your environment affected
your writing?

I’m a Jersey girl, born and
bred. I’ve lived my entire life in the state.

Most, but not all of my books, take place in NJ. My Kim
Reynolds librarian sleuth series takes place in my home state. My next Five
Star/Gale mystery novel, THE THIRD EYE which will be published in
August/September, takes place in the Pine Barrens of NJ and depends heavily on
setting.

How many books have you written?

I’ve written twenty books, twelve of which have been
published so far. At this time, I have the fourth Kim Reynolds mystery under
submission as well as a brand new mystery.

Give a short synop of your most recently published book.

My most recently published novel is DEATH LEGACY which is a
romantic suspense mystery thriller published by Five Star/Gale in hardcover and
Thorndike Press in large print hardcover. Since the novels are expensive, I
encourage readers to request the novel at their local library. Here’s a brief
synopsis:

DEATH LEGACY features an Englishwoman, Michelle Hallam,
whose deceased uncle, a former British intelligence agent, operated a
"consulting firm" which she now runs. Michelle meets a young,
handsome American psychiatrist on the French Riviera under mysterious
circumstances. There is a strong physical attraction but Michelle remains wary
of him. Daniel appears to have a friendly, warm personality, and urban wit in
contrast to Michelle’s outward façade of cool cynicism. In New York, Michelle sends Dr. Reiner a
patient who has asked her to look into the disappearance and/or death of the
woman's husband, a CIA agent, in WashingtonD.C. The case involves both
Michelle and Daniel in espionage, international intrigue, romance and murder,
changing their lives irrevocably. The novel combines elements of suspense
thriller, mystery and romance.

It sounds wonderful, Jacquie and the cover is awesome!

How much of yourself is hidden in the characters your books?

Well, like Kim Reynolds, I’ve worked as an academic
librarian, an English teacher and an educational media specialist. But I
definitely have no psychic abilities, nor do I have dark family secrets.
Michelle Hallam and I have nothing in common, but Daniel Reiner and Mike Gardner
share some of my husband’s character traits.

Do your characters take on a life of their own? If so, which
is your favorite?

Kim and her sometime boyfriend, Detective Mike Gardner,
especially take on lives of their own. They are first introduced in THE INFERNO
COLLECTION which Harlequin Worldwide Mystery brought out this month as an
inexpensive paperback reprint.

Their relationship develops further in THE DROWNING POOL in
which they investigate a new set of murder mysteries. In THE TRUTH SLEUTH, third
novel in this series, their relationship undergoes some serious changes and
they solve yet a new set of murder mysteries.

What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?

If you really want to be a writer, you have to write and you
also have to read. We learn how to be good writers from reading the works of
other writers and consistently writing each day. You need to find a time to
write that’s good for you. For me, it’s early morning. That’s when I’m most
productive. But everyone is different.

Develop self-discipline. Write, put work away, come back to
it at a later time, and put on your editor’s hat. Above all, do not give up! Be
pit bull persistent. Don’t let rejections deter you. We all get them! Keep at
it. Keep improving at your chosen craft.

Wonderful advice, indeed.

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?

I’m not that great at promoting my work but I hope to reach
as many readers as possible. Being published by Harlequin Worldwide Mystery
will be helpful I believe since the novels are in print and very inexpensive. I
also like being published in e-book formats.

Online I blog when I have time. Once a month I do a blog for
Author Expressions which I enjoy. I appreciate your help, Susan, in reaching
more of an audience.

Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?

I would like to see more of my novels published. That, of
course, is not up to me. I want to continue the Kim Reynolds mystery series,
for instance. I enjoy writing romance fiction as well, and all of my mystery
novels have elements of romance in them.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

I’m working on putting up a new website as we speak. But I have a web page on the L&L
Dreamspell site:

About Me

I wrote the Logan Hunter Mystery series: Genesis Beach, Just North of Luck, Hell Swamp, Sin Creek and Sticking Point. Slightly Cracked is my first women's fiction and I also authored unique cookbook, Killer Recipes. I'm currently working on an historical fiction, titled Sprig of Broom. My Web site is www.susanwhitfieldonline.com
KILLER RECIPES, features recipes from mystery writers across the country. Profits for this book are donated to cancer research.
Sites I follow:
www.coldcoffeepress.com
www.coldcoffeecafe.com
www.booktown.ning.com
http://www.pmterrell.blogspot.com
http://murderby4.blogspot.com
http://www.mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com
www.bloodredpencil.blogspot.com
www.womenofmystery.net
www.sistersincrime.org
http://suspensebyanne.blogspot.com
http://murdersousmusings.blogspot.com